H.E. Madiepetsane Charlotte Lobe highlights enduring ties between South Africa and Singapore as President Cyril Ramaphosa extends warm felicitations on Singapore’s milestone 60th National Day.
SINGAPORE – As part of IN Diplomacy’s Singapore National Day Edition Feature, the High Commissioner underscored the strength and progress of bilateral relations, which have deepened through high-level visits, multi-sectoral cooperation, and mutual support in global platforms.
As Singapore celebrates its 60th anniversary, otherwise known as the diamond jubilee, on August 9th, President Ramaphosa has conveyed his sincere felicitations to the President, Government and People of the Republic of Singapore on reaching this significant milestone. Majula Singapura!
On the auspicious occasion, South Africa celebrates continued substantive relations with Singapore, anchored by frequent high-level engagements, multifaceted cooperation in areas such as trade and investment, growing people-to-people relations, and cooperation in the multilateral institutions.
Following decades of international isolation of the apartheid South Africa and significant progress heralded through the peaceful negotiations, the founding father of Singapore, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, visited South Africa in 1992. This visit began a process of establishing friendship between the people of South Africa and the people of Singapore. This friendship was fortified in May 1992 when South Africa and Singapore established consular relations and in October 1993 formalised diplomatic relations and appointed their envoys at the highest level of High Commissioners.
In March 1997, President Nelson Mandela became the first South African Head of State to visit Singapore, followed by President Mbeki’s State visit in April 2005, President Cyril Ramaphosa in his capacity as Deputy President in October 2016 and Deputy President Paul Mashatile in December 2023.
Apart from their common colonial past, Singapore and South Africa are political, economic, transport, fintech and knowledge hubs in their respective regions. They have also positioned themselves as bridge builders, pathfinders and listening posts for regional developments in their respective regions, with their airports and seaports connecting the world.
Singapore continues to be a strategic partner of South Africa as both a maritime and aviation hub in Southeast Asia. Singapore’s expertise in technology, urban planning, and education provides useful models for South Africa’s own development efforts. This year, South Africa invited Singapore to its G20 Presidency as a convenor of the small states within the UN, the Global Governance Group (3G). This invitation showcases South Africa’s commitment to inclusive multilateral engagement and allows Singapore to contribute its valuable perspectives in areas such as trade, investment, and sustainable development.
Over the past three decades of bilateral relations, Singapore has supported South Africa’s development trajectory through the Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP), in areas such as urban planning, economic policy, and public sector development.
As South Africa prepares for the G20 Summit in November 2025, Singapore will host two important platforms aimed at strengthening its relations with Africa, namely, the Singapore-Sub-Saharan Africa High-Level Ministerial Exchange Visit (SAMEV) and the Africa Singapore Business Forum (ASBF). The biennial (SAMEV) is aimed at fostering closer links, sharing best practices and exchanging development experiences between Singapore and Sub-Saharan African countries. The SABF is a premier platform aimed at fostering partnerships between Singapore and African enterprises. It facilitates business matching, networking, knowledge exchange, and investment opportunities across diverse industries, including technology, finance, and infrastructure. As an essential nexus for business leaders, policymakers, and innovators, SABF propels economic growth by bridging the gap between Singapore and Africa. It assists business delegations to navigate the evolving market landscape, unlocks strategic alliances, and taps into the vast potential for mutually beneficial ventures. This year, South Africa will bring a delegation of over sixty businesspeople from various sectors.
To facilitate growing business interest by Singapore companies, Enterprise Singapore officially launched its first overseas office in Johannesburg in January 2013, followed by a second office in Accra, Ghana, in July 2013, and a third one in Nairobi, Kenya, in June 2018.
South Africa and Singapore also cooperate on critical global challenges such as climate change and environmental sustainability through frameworks like the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Singapore’s advanced expertise in areas like green technology and water management offers valuable insights for South Africa as it seeks to build resilience and sustainability. Looking ahead, the multilateral partnership between South Africa and Singapore presents ongoing opportunities for deeper cooperation in diplomatic, developmental, and economic spheres.
